1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to a method for removing a hydride of an element selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, arsenic, antimony, bismuth, or mixtures thereof. More specifically, this invention provides a method for removing arsine from a petroleum hydrocarbon stream, or a non-hydrocarbon gas stream, or a mixture of the two streams.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Refinery streams used in the production of olefins, such as ethylene and propylene, typically are streams of C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 hydrocarbons and hydrogen and gases containing carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, water, arsine, carbonyl and other undesirable elements and compounds. The arsine is a contaminant which is particularly undesirable in the olefin production process because of its toxicity for the palladium catalyst used in the acetylene convertor. Also, arsine's presence in the olefin product can be undesirable. Thus, it has become important to find a means for removing arsine from hydrocarbon streams. The use of molecular sieves, activated charcoal, bauxite, caustic solutions, slaked lime and other materials known to be effective in the removing of arsine from air, nitrogen, etc., did not solve the problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,899 by Cheron et al. teaches a device comprising a filtering cartridge of soda-lime which is capable of removing carbon dioxide from a gas flow. U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,734 by Gadelle et al. discloses a process for removing arsenic compounds, and particularly arsine, from gases containing the same. The gases are treated with a washing solution consisting either of an alkaline aqueous solution, containing a zinc or lead salt or oxide and/or one or more salts of anthraquinone sulfonic or disulfonic acids, or of a solution in an organic solvent of at least one quinone compound in the presence of an amine or an ethanol amine. None of the foregoing patents, nor any other prior art, teach or suggest the method for removing arsine from a petroleum hydrocarbon stream, a non-hydrogen gas stream, or a mixture of the two streams.